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Justice News

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Western District of New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Drug Organization Operating in Perry Housing Projects Dismantled

BUFFALO, N.Y.-- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury in Buffalo has returned an indictment charging 12 defendants with conspiracy to traffic 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 500 grams or more of cocaine within the Perry Housing Projects. The defendants are also accused of utilizing three apartments within the Perry Housing Projects and a juvenile to further their drug trafficking activities.

In addition, the grand jury has returned three indictments charging Dimone Thomas, a/k/a Pony, 26, Shariff Johnson, a/k/a Ahmad Johnson, 33 and Rudell Jackson, a/k/a Rudy, 24 with distributing cocaine base in the Fruit Belt area of Buffalo. The Jackson charges carry a mandatory minimum five years to forty years imprisonment, a fine of $5,000,000, or both, while the Thomas and Johnson charges carry up to 20 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, or both.

United States Attorney Hochul stated, “Children and grandmothers living in the Perry apartments - or any public housing project - are entitled to live as safe and secure as every other American.” Hochul continued, “For too long, those who call this area home were subjected to the danger and destruction of drug traffickers. Criminals should know we mean business, while residents and companies alike should know the area is now safe for business, school and play.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the Perry Projects case, stated that the investigation focused on the drug trafficking activities of Tyshawn Bradley, Darnell Brown, Dallas McLamore and their associates. According to the indictment, Bradley, Brown, McLamore and Eric Ross operated a cocaine base and cocaine distribution organization on a daily basis out of several apartments within the Perry Housing Projects, including apartments within the high-rise towers located at 124 Fulton Street and 305 Perry Street. The organization also utilized a person under the age of 18 to distribute cocaine base to customers on the grounds of the public housing facility. Law enforcement utilized court-ordered wire interceptions, undercover drug purchases, covert cameras and traditional police investigative techniques to infiltrate and dismantle this organization.

The Fruit Belt area indictments charge narcotics trafficking in the area of the new Medical Campus.

The indictments are the culmination of an investigation on the part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Piehota, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Matthew Renneman, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel Derenda.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.